The present invention relates to a surgical support system for supporting a surgical device or patient during surgery and in particular to a support system that can be attached to and adjusted with respect to the operating table from the sterile operating field through a surgical drape.
During surgery, a surgical drape may be placed ova the operating table to isolate a sterile operating area and sterile equipment from non-sterile areas and equipment. The surgical drape is typically a disposable, flexible plastic material.
For surgical procedures such as a total knee replacement, it is necessary for the patient's leg to be properly positioned and then held fixed in that position before cuts are made for the removal of the existing joint. For this purpose, a sterile leg support system may be positioned on the sterile side of the surgical drape.
Such support systems often compromise the sterile barrier of the surgical drape by going around it to the side or penetrating the surgical drape. Some systems attempt to clamp a support system over top of the sterile barrier, but nearly always penetrate the surgical drape. An adhesive backed covering applied to the sterile drape may be used to minimize the opening formed in the surgical drape when the surgical drape is cut or punctured, but such covering has only limited success in preventing contamination of the sterile field. Substantial adjustment of such patient support fixtures, as may be necessary for proper surgery, often requires the physician to move between the sterile and non-sterile fields jeopardizing the sterility of the sterile field.